Delivery Infrastructure

Viaccess-Orca’s collaboration with TiledMedia and DTS has created a revamped version of its VR solution, which slashes delivery bit-rates by delivering selective resolution enhancement, and intelligently predicts future user behaviour to lower latency. The new VR360 platform also offers enhanced advertising and monetisation opportunities.

At IBC, V-Nova explained that improvements to its PERSEUS video compression technology weren’t simply directed at providing better quality at lower bit-rates but also at improving measures like cost-efficiency and reach. Guido Meardi, CEO and Co-Founder of V-Nova, also denied that the PERSEUS platform was in any danger of running up against theoretical compression limits, arguing that commentators had failed to understand its testing philosophy

WiFi experts Airties say that Android TV is becoming so tied up with the future of streamed video that learning about it and integrating it into its operator set-top boxes was a no-brainer. Its ability to provide a platform that's fast and economical to roll out makes it a natural for operators wishing to offer 4K to their customers as well as ensuring easy access to their favourite OTT apps. Given the amount of second-screen viewing, turning customers' living-rooms into the best WiFi reception areas in the home by integrating a hotspot into their new Android box also makes perfect sense, the company argues.

Ten months on from DVB's publication of its UHD-1 Phase 2 specification, a new battle has emerged over whether the existing compromise between two rival High Dynamic Range systems needs to be unwound, with the existing static metadata-based HLG and PQ-10 norms extended - or replaced - with new dynamic variants. DVB Chairman Peter MacAvock remains sceptical about their attractions, although the standards-body is now investigating whether they are needed. Meanwhile, the UHD specification's HD profile - aimed at the DTT platform - has been demonstrated on the DVB stand at IBC.

At IBC, Irdeto was showing a number of innovations on its stand, all of which were aimed at making it quicker and easier to get their premium content to customers. These included a new Vestel 4K TV set integrating its newly-launched TV Cloaked CA solution, in collaboration with chipset maker MStar; and the same security solution integrated into the new CI Plus 2.0 USB format. Meanwhile, Irdeto was promoting Android TV as a viable STB solution for quick market access; and arguing for a 360-degree security approach to combat piracy which extended beyond the simple use of watermarking.

A major North American cable operator is live in several cities with a unified core delivery architecture that effectively treats all video as multiscreen until it reaches the edge of the network. The chunked manifest-based streams, if destined for traditional STBs, are then regenerated into MPEG Transport Streams. Dynamic ad replacement also becomes easier.

The PERSEUS compression codec has gained a foothold in the broadcast market, with Rai and Eutelsat using it for UHD football contribution and Sky Italia deployed for distribution to IPTV set-top boxes. V-Nova’s acquisition of Faroudja Enterprises will deliver pre- and post-processing synergies and a new generation encoder/decoder is ready for HD and UHD simulcasting.

France’s IPTV platform was poised to become the most popular way for French households to watch broadcast TV on their main television set this year, but the country’s switchover to an all-MPEG-4 DTT platform in April has thrown a spanner in the works (at least for the time being).

Live UHD contribution feeds will not rely on stitching four separate AVC streams together for much longer. Now broadcasters can use a single encoder and single decoder to create full-frame pictures using HEVC. The process is much more efficient and enables end-to-end HEVC delivery. BT Media and Broadcast and Ericsson have been demonstrating the new technique.

Roland’s global music festival, held during IBC, was underpinned by IBM Cloud Video services, and offers a new template for data-rich online event broadcasting, and demonstrates merging of B2B and B2C models.

Videonet is a leading source of strategic insight, analysis and news about post-convergence television. We explore the challenges and opportunities for the TV industry as it introduces more on-demand content and evolves towards multi-screen delivery, companion experiences and a hybrid broadcast/IP connected TV universe